78 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



"When the sulphites are decomposed in the stomach or in meat the first pro- 

 duct is SO^ or sulphur dioxide gas. This gas immediately combines with a 

 molecule of"water and forms sulphurous acid ^ SO^ H O ( — or H^ SO — ) which 

 is much more active than the gas and represents the poisonous action of the 

 sulphites. 



"As sulphites they possess little or no germicidal action. Whatever action they 

 possess in that line is due to the liberation of sulphurous acid, which is readily 

 libera,ted when sulphites come into contact with acids. In fresh meat for in- 

 stance, there are found acid phosphates, which, when the meat is treated with 

 sulphites, attacks them and breaks them up with the liberation of free sul- 

 phurous acid, and it is that substance that acts as the preservative. Given 

 by the stomach the sulphites are a,ttacked by the hydro-chloric acid naturally 

 found as a constituent of gastric juice, and here also sulphurous acid is the re- 

 sult. 



"Sulphurous acid is a powerful corrosive poison and its action in the stomach 

 is baneful in several ways. First, it lowers the vitality of the tissues with 

 Vv'hich it comes into contact. Second, it interferes with the digestive powers 

 of the ferments in the gastric juice, and third, it lowers the nutritive value 

 of the food itself. Absorbed into the blood, Harrington saj^s, it exerts in 

 large doses, a marked and sometimes fatal poisonous action, and small doses, 

 long continued, affect seriously the circulation, lungs and kidneys. Indeed, it 

 cannot but affect seriously owing to its corrosive nature, any living tissue with 

 which it may come into contact, and should under no circumstances be per- 

 mitted to be used as a food preservative." 



IMPURE' DRUGS AND MEDICINES. 



The correspondence of this office has developed the fact that the 

 man who buj-s medicine, as well as he who buys food desires to 

 know that he is getting what he pays for, and that no imposition 

 is being imposed or practiced upon him. A preliminary examina- 

 tion of certain articles revealed a condition that was not entirely 

 satisfactory. There are but few opponents who would not admit the 

 wisdom of and actual necessity for making the suggested investi- 

 gations of drugs, and where the opposition is loudest, selfish per- 

 sonal interest is often conspicuous. 



The drugs sold in Pennsylvania, when sold under or by a name 

 recognized in the United States Pharmacox)oeia should conform to a 

 certain standard of strength and purity. In the case of so-called 

 "patent" medicines there seems to be a wide field for investigation 

 on account of their unlimited scope for doing great harm. The 

 universal extent to which they are used makes it important that they 

 should be free from any substance th.at is injurious to health. If 

 the assertion that is often made be true, that many of these medicines 

 are made up largely of inferior alcoholic liquors and other constit- 

 uents, harmful in character, the public have a right to know it, and 

 if untrue, justice to the proprietors of these medicines could only 

 be done by determining the disputed question by chemical examina- 

 tion. 



